CR

Autonomy and Well-being Lecture Notes

What is Autonomy?

  • Definition: Autonomy is the degree to which we are free to self-determine our thoughts, feelings, and actions in accordance with our own values and standards.

  • Ryff's Psychological Well-being Model: Identifies autonomy (green) and positive relationships (orange) as key components. This can seem paradoxical, but they are not in conflict.

  • Autonomy is NOT Independence:

    • A common misconception is that autonomy means independence (non-reliance on others).

    • Autonomy is about self-determination (picking our direction, making choices right for us, following through).

    • Science indicates connectedness to others is vital for well-being; we can willingly depend on others to achieve self-determination.

    • It is not about stepping away from others to be different or necessarily having different values.

    • It is not linked to individualism or only beneficial in individualistic cultures; it has an important role in collectivist societies too.

    • It's not about ignoring societal rules or norms.

  • High Autonomy vs. Low Autonomy (Continuum):

    • Self-determination:

      • High Autonomy: Decides for self what to think, feel, do.

      • Low Autonomy: Looks to others for what to think, feel, do.

    • Motivation:

      • High Autonomy: High self-motivation (intrinsic).

      • Low Autonomy: Motivated by external pressures (instrumental rewards, social media).

    • Social Pressures:

      • High Autonomy: Able to resist social pressures and norms, especially when they conflict with own standards.

      • Low Autonomy: Conforms to social pressures and norms, even when they conflict with own standards (e.g., peer pressure).

    • Behavior Alignment:

      • High Autonomy: Behaves in ways that align with own standards.

      • Low Autonomy: Behavior aligns with social pressures, may not feel right for the individual.

    • Self-evaluation:

      • High Autonomy: Self-evaluates against own standards, prioritizes what's important for oneself, feels proud of consistent values.

      • Low Autonomy: Evaluates self against social standards, cares more about what others thin

        .

  • Autonomy as a Continuum: Like many psychological constructs, autonomy varies day-to-day and context-to-context.

  • Quiz: Ranking Autonomy (Kim's Assignment Scenario):

    • Scenario: Kim values learning. Housemates tease her to go out instead of studying for an assignment due tomorrow.

    • Option 3 (Highest Autonomy): Kim stands her ground, explains assignment importance, stays home, consistent with her value of learning.

    • Option 2 (Second Highest Autonomy): Kim goes out, giving up study time, but values and enjoys her friendships (acting consistent with a different, but still personal, value).

    • Option 1 (Lowest Autonomy): Kim goes out, giving up study time, even though she values and enjoys learning (conforming to social pressure despite conflicting values).

  • Personal Autonomy Check-up (Ryff and Keyes' Autonomy Scale):

    • Instructions: Rate 7 items from 1 (strongly disagree) to 6 (strongly agree).

    • High Autonomy Items (1, 2, 5, 7): High scores (e.g., 5, 6) indicate high autonomy, reflecting a strong sense of self-direction and independence in decision-making.

    • Low Autonomy Items (3, 4, 6): For these items, which are typically inversely worded, high scores (e.g., 5, 6) would indicate lower autonomy, and are often reverse-scored for total scale calculation.

    • Interpretation: A higher overall total score across all 7 items (after any necessary reverse-scoring) suggests a greater level of personal autonomy.

why is autonomy important

  • Fosters Intrinsic Motivation: When individuals feel autonomous, they are more likely to be driven by internal desires and interests rather than external rewards or pressures, leading to greater engagement and persistence.

  • Promotes Self-Congruence: Acting in alignment with one's own values and standards, a hallmark of high autonomy, leads to a stronger sense of self and authenticity.

  • Supports Personal Growth and Learning: The freedom to self-determine allows individuals to explore, make choices, learn from experiences, and develop a unique personal identity.

  • Builds Resilience: The ability to resist social pressures and adhere to personal standards, even when challenging, strengthens one's resolve and capacity to cope with adversity.

  • Self determination theory:

    • self governing

    • autonomy is a basic psychological need

    • associated with intrinsic motivation

    • associated with pursuing intrinsic goals

  • skinner (1953) - operant conditioning

  • Deci: cognitive evaluation theory (CET)

    • Emphasises role of psychological needs in human motivation

    • “effects of an event such as reqard depend on how it affects perveived self-determination”

    • rewards can be interpreted as controlling 

    • if higher on extrinsic motivation, promotion tends to go down

    • intrinsic motivation - better

    • higher autonomy associated with 

      • better adjustment to relocation in older adults

      • lower levels of depression symptoms in older adults in aged care

how do we develop autonomy

  • Self-reflection: Regularly considering one's own values, beliefs, and aspirations helps clarify what truly matters.

  • Conscious Decision-Making: Practicing making choices that align with personal values and goals, rather than defaulting to external pressures.

  • Setting Boundaries: Learning to identify and communicate limits when social demands conflict with personal standards or needs.

  • Taking Responsibility: Owning decisions and their consequences, fostering a sense of control and self-efficacy.

  • Seeking Internal Motivation: Identifying and pursuing activities that are inherently enjoyable or meaningful, rather than relying on external rewards or validation.

  • major developmental tasks

    • understand “self” as separate, with own unique perspective

    • clear sense of “who i am” (e.g. values, purpose)

    • competencies, mastery (e.g. assertiveness)

      • context = how well does “who i am” align with societal pressures?

  • Adolescence: ‘who i am’ formation

    • increase in “exploratory behaviours’

    • individuating from parents (psychologically, as well as physically)

    • parents de-idealised —> imperfect (Beyers & goossens, 1999)

    • formation of own belief system, values

    • positive parent-child relationship supports process —> optimal outcomes

  • context matters:

  • what do autonomy supportive environments look like?

    • choice

    • freedom to try, solve

    • freedom to initiate

    • meaningful rationale if direction is given

    • positive outcomes in various outcomes

  • but context is not determinative

cultivating autonomy

  • Nurturing Choice: Providing opportunities for individuals to make meaningful choices, even in small ways, to develop their sense of agency.

  • Creating Supportive Environments: Fostering contexts where individuals feel safe to express their thoughts, feelings, and make independent choices without fear of reprisal.

  • Minimizing Controlling Language and External Pressures: Reducing the use of demands, threats, or excessive rewards that can undermine internal motivation and self-determination.

  • Promoting Intrinsic Goal Setting: Encouraging individuals to set and pursue goals that are personally valuable and interesting to them.

  • Developing Self-Compassion: Recognizing that mistakes and setbacks are part of the learning process and allowing for self-forgiveness facilitates continued growth in autonomy.

  • choose contexts that align with our values and purpose

Cognitive reapprasal:

  • involved changing the way individual thinks about a potentially emotion-eliciting situation in order to modify its emotional impact

  • how we interpret situations can influence our wellbeing: threat or challenge?

    • mental arithmetic task, under surveillance

    • threat instructions: “emhasised the importance of completing the task as quickly and accurately as possible and that reponses would be scored for speed and accuracy”

    • challenge instructions: “think of the task as a challenge and… youself as someone capable of meeting that challenge

    • challenge intructions —> more adaptive physiological responding during task

  • extensive body of research

  • key role in current psychological interventions

  • brief cognitive reappraisal intervention = 1 of 3 studies in the psychologocal science accelerator covid-19 rapid project, spanning 55 countries (wang et al, 2020)

  • a good strategy

    • seminal study by gross and john 2003 found CR was associated with:

      • reduced negative emotion

      • increased positive emotion

      • better social functioning

      • increased psychological wellbeing

    • large meta analysis aldao et al 2010 found CR was associated with reduced psychopathology

  • situation-strategy fit

    • whether or not a strategy is adaptive depends on the situation

    • theoretical argument: CR most important (for psychological wellbeing) when situational control is low

    • emerging evidence: 

      • troy et al (2016) found CR was associated with 

        • lower levels of depression for people experiencing uncontrollable stress 

        • but higher levels of depression for people experiencing controllable stress

      • 2017 troy et al found CR.was associated with lower levels of depression for people with low SES but not high SES

    • bulls eye task - a method used to assess an individual's ability to set and achieve personal goals, highlighting the importance of autonomy in managing stress and enhancing well-being. This underscores the idea that fostering personal autonomy can be a powerful tool in reducing depressive symptoms and improving overall mental health, particularly for those in challenging socioeconomic circumstances.